Creating, planning, and using forage quality budgets to optimize milk production on grazing daries

Creating, planning, and using forage quality budgets to optimize milk production on grazing daries

Summary

General information: Forage data bases for grazing dairies: Creating, planning, and using forage budgets to optimize milk production. Dave Kissel, project coordinator; Nick Hill cooperator; University of Georgia; Funding: $14,200. Contact Dave Kissel (dkissel@uga.edu; Phone: 706-542-5350).

Summary:
Winter annual and warm season perennial forage species were tested in various combinations to determine yield distribution and quality over 3 years. Production curves were matched with livestock requirements to establish a forage “balance sheet”. The balance sheet is useful in predicting when forage deficiencies are likely to occur and provide insight as to the impact of how the breeding/calving season will impact forage supply during periods of peak demand.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The overall objective of the project is to build a data base from which pasture systems can be planned to optimize production on dairies. The specific objectives are to: 1) create a data base than can be used to estimate monthly forage production for species commonly grown in the Coastal Plain of Georgia, 2) Test forages for quality to determine which make the best combinations (combined with production data) for forage systems, and 3) create a user-friendly forage system planning program in MS Excel for “forage system gaming”.

Accomplishments/Milestones

The best mixture of forage species that provides a consistent supply of high quality forage is Tifton 85 bermudagrass overseeded with a mixture of annual ryegrass and cereal rye. However, there are two forage production gaps when this occurs; one after the winter annuals are seeded in October and early November , and in late spring (late May/early June) as the pastures are transitioning from winter annual to bermudagrass production. The greatest forage production occurs in March/April and July/August. These are periods when excess forage can be harvested and stored to be fed back during the periods of forage deficits. We still need to build an internet-based program so producers can log onto the web page, and “test” forage combinations and production with the demands of their herd so they can better plan forage systems for their farms.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Data from this grant have been used in grazing schools designed for pasture-based dairies to illustrate how pasture species selection affects forage supply. Roughly 170 producers and county agents have attended the schools and received forage systems training.

Collaborators: